First Book Press Releases

First Book and Penguin Random House Provide 550,000 Books to Kids in Need this Holiday Season

WASHINGTON, November 28, 2016 –The nonprofit social enterprise First Book and Penguin Random House, the world’s largest trade book publisher, are partnering to provide up to 550,000 brand-new, high quality books to children in need.

Every $3 donated online at firstbook.org or sent to First Book with a postmark through December 31, 2016, will be matched with an in-kind donation of two books from Penguin Random House, up to 500,000 books. First Book is also the recipient of the third annual Penguin Random House #GiveaBook campaign (penguinrandomhouse.com/giveabook) that gives readers the power to donate books to their local communities through First Book, and celebrates the power of books and reading this holiday season. Through the campaign, Penguin Random House will donate an additional 50,000 books to First Book.

First Book transforms lives and provides access to equal education by providing educators and programs serving children from low-income families with free and affordable new, high-quality new books and educational resources, directly addressing the needs of these critically under-resourced communities. Eligible educators, librarians, program leaders, and others serving children from low-income families can obtain books and educational resources through the First Book National Book Bank, as well as the First Book Marketplace, the award-winning e-commerce site with over 6,000 products. To date, First Book has distributed more than 150 million books in the U.S. and Canada.

"It is vital that children have access to books in order to succeed: in their homes, in their schools and after school programs,” said Kyle Zimmer, president and CEO of First Book. "Thanks to the generosity of our friends at Penguin Random House, we have an opportunity to boost our reach to the 32 million children – 44 percent of our nation’s young people – who are growing up in low-income families where books, the most essential tool for learning, are scarce. We’re grateful that they are joining us in our shared mission to invest in the future."

###

About First Book

First Book is a nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1992 that has distributed more than 150 million books and educational resources to programs and schools serving children from low-income families throughout the United States and Canada, which, with more than 275,000 members, is the largest and fastest growing network of educators exclusively serving kids in need. By making new, high-quality books and educational resources available on an ongoing basis, First Book is transforming the lives of children in need and elevating the quality of education. Eligible educators, librarians, program leaders, and others serving children in need can sign up at firstbook.org/register. For more information, please visit firstbook.org or follow the latest news on Facebook and Twitter.

About Penguin Random House

As the world’s largest trade book publisher Penguin Random House is dedicated to its mission of nourishing a universal passion for reading by connecting authors and their writing with readers everywhere. The company, which employs more than 10,000 people globally, was formed on July 1, 2013, by Bertelsmann and Pearson, who own 53 percent and 47 percent, respectively. With nearly 250 independent imprints and brands on five continents, Penguin Random House comprises adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction print and digital English- and Spanish-language trade book publishing businesses in more than 20 countries worldwide. With over 15,000 new titles, and close to 800 million print, audio and eBooks sold annually, Penguin Random House’s publishing lists include more than 60 Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of the world’s most widely read authors.